Student grouping and communication system

Abstract

A student grouping and communication system includes student devices coupled through a network to a teacher device and each including an indicator device that can provide a indication. The teacher device displays a graphical user interface that includes a student device indicator for each student device. The teacher device then receives a request to group the student devices and determines groups of student devices. Each of the groups of student device includes a subset of the student devices that are not included in the others of the groups of student devices. The teacher device then provides a group designation instruction to each of the student devices to cause each respective group of student devices to activate their indicator devices to provide a first group indicator that is different than other group indicators provided by the indicator devices on student devices in the others of the groups of student devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for grouping student devices, comprising:
 receiving, by a processing system on a student device through a network, a first group designation instruction for a first group of student devices of a plurality of student devices; 
 activating, based on the first group designation instruction and by the processing system on the student device, a visual indicator device that is located on a first side of a display system provided by the student device and coupled to the processing system to provide a first type group designation visual indication assigned to the first group of student devices that is different than a second type group designation visual indication provided by visual indicator devices on student devices in a second group of student devices; and 
 displaying, by the processing system on the student device, a student graphical user interface on a display screen that is located on a second side of the display system, wherein the student graphical user interface includes a visual indicator device element that is configured to display the first type group designation visual indication being displayed on the visual indicator device, wherein the visual indicator device faces a first direction and the display screen faces a second direction that is opposite the first direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, for display on a display system of a teacher device by a processing system on the teacher device, a teacher graphical user interface that includes a student device indicator for each of the plurality of student devices that are coupled to the teacher device through the network; 
 receiving, via an input system by the processing system on the teacher device, a request through the teacher graphical user interface to group the plurality of student devices; and 
 determining, by the processing system on the teacher device, the first group of student devices and the second group of student devices, wherein each of the first group of student devices and the second group of student devices includes a subset of the plurality of student devices that are not included in the other group of student devices; and 
 generating, by the processing system on the teacher device, the first group designation instruction that includes the first type group designation visual indication assigned to the first group of student devices and a second group designation instruction that includes the second type group designation visual indication assigned to the second group of student devices. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing, for display on the display system of the teacher device by the processing system of the teacher device, a first group identifier and a second group identifier on the teacher graphical user interface, wherein the first group identifier identifies the first group of student devices and the second group identifier identifies the second group of student devices. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the input system on the teacher device by the processing system of the teacher device, a selection of the first group identifier along with a group communication; and 
 providing, by the teacher device through the network to each student device in the first group of student devices identified by the first group identifier, the group communication. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 randomizing, by the processing system on the teacher device, each subset of the plurality of student devices included in the first group of student devices and the second group of student devices. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, via the input system on the teacher device by the processing system of the teacher device, a class designation that is associated with the plurality of student devices and, in response, retrieving a student device identifier of each of the plurality of student devices. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing, for display on the display system by the processing system of the teacher device, a plurality of group designator elements on the teacher graphical user interface; and 
 determining, by the teacher device, the first group of student devices and the second group of student devices in response to receiving an association of each of the student device indicators with a respective one of the plurality of group designator elements. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator device is configured to display a plurality of colors, and wherein the first group designation instruction are configured to cause the visual indicator device to display a first type group designation visual indication color that is different than a second type group designation visual indication color displayed by indicator devices on student devices in the second group of student devices. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying, by the processing system on the student device, a communication element on the display screen; 
 facilitating, by the processing system on the student device via the communication element and based on the first group designation instruction, communication through the network between the student device and student devices of the plurality of student devices belonging to the first group of student devices; and 
 preventing, by the processing system on the student device via the communication element and based on the first group designation instruction, communication through the network between the student device and student devices of the plurality of student devices that do not belong to the first group of student devices. 
 
     
     
       10. A student device grouping and communication system, comprising:
 a network; 
 a plurality of student devices that are each coupled to the network, wherein each of the plurality of student devices includes a display system that comprises:
 a display screen that is located on a first side of the display system and that faces a first direction; and 
 a visual indicator device that is located on a second side of the display screen and that faces a second direction that is opposite the first direction, wherein the visual indicator device is configured to provide a group designation visual indication; and 
 
 a teacher device that is coupled to the network and that is configured to:
 provide a teacher graphical user interface for display that includes a student device indicator for each of the plurality of student devices; 
 receive a request through the teacher graphical user interface to group the plurality of student devices; 
 determine a plurality of groups of student devices, wherein each of the plurality of groups of student devices includes a subset of the plurality of student devices that are not included in the others of the plurality of groups of student devices; and 
 provide a group designation instruction through the network to each of the plurality of student devices, wherein the group designation instruction is configured to:
 cause each student device within each respective group of student devices to activate the visual indicator device on those student devices to provide a first type group designation visual indication that is different than a plurality of other types of group designation visual indication provided by the visual indicator device on student devices in the others of the plurality of groups of student devices; 
 cause each student device within each respective group of student devices to provide a student graphical user interface on the display screen, wherein the student graphical user interface includes a visual indicator device element that is configured to display the first type group designation visual indication being displayed on the visual indicator device; and 
 cause each student device within each respective group of student devices to display a communication element on the display screen that is configured to:
 facilitate network communication between student devices that belong to the same respective group of student devices; and 
 prevent network communication between student devices that do not belong to the same respective group of student devices. 
 
 
 
 
     
     
       11. The student device grouping and communication system of  claim 10 , wherein the teacher device is configured to:
 provide a plurality of group identifiers on the teacher graphical user interface, wherein each group identifier identifies a respective one of the plurality of groups of student devices. 
 
     
     
       12. The student device grouping and communication system of  claim 11 , wherein the teacher device is configured to:
 receive a selection of a first group identifier of the plurality of group identifiers along with a group communication; and 
 provide the group communication through the network to each student device in the group of student devices identified by the first group identifier. 
 
     
     
       13. The student device grouping and communication system of  claim 10 , wherein the teacher device is configured to:
 provide a plurality of group designator elements on the teacher graphical user interface; and 
 determine the plurality of groups of student devices in response to receiving an association of each of the student device indicators with a respective one of the plurality of group designator elements. 
 
     
     
       14. The student device grouping and communication system of  claim 10 , wherein the teacher device is configured to:
 randomize each subset of the plurality of student devices included in each group of student devices. 
 
     
     
       15. The student device grouping and communication system of  claim 10 , wherein the visual indicator device on each of the plurality of student devices is configured to display a plurality of colors, and wherein the visual indicator device on each respective group of student devices displays a first type group designation visual indication color that is different than other group designation visual indication colors that are displayed by the visual indicator device on student devices in the others of the plurality of groups of student devices. 
     
     
       16. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:
 a display system that includes:
 a display screen that is located on a first side of the display system and that faces a first direction; and 
 a visual indicator device that located on a second side of the display screen and that faces a second direction that is opposite the first direction, wherein the visual indicator device is configured to provide a group designation visual indication; 
 
 a communication system that is configured to couple to a plurality of student devices and a teacher device through a network; 
 a processing system that is coupled to the communication system and the display system; and 
 a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a teacher device communication engine that is configured to:
 receive a first group designation instruction for a first group of student devices via the communication system through the network; 
 activate, based on the first group designation instruction, the visual indicator device to provide a first type group designation visual indication assigned to the first group of student devices that is different than a second type group designation visual indication provided by visual indicator devices on student devices in a second group of student devices; 
 display a student graphical user interface on the display screen, wherein the student graphical user interface includes a visual indicator device element that is configured to display the first type group designation visual indication being displayed on the visual indicator device; 
 display, on the display screen, a communication element; 
 facilitate, based on the first group designation instruction and via the communication element, communication through the network between the communication system and the student devices belonging to the first group of student devices; and 
 prevent, based on the first group designation instruction and via the communication element, communication through the network between the communication system and student devices that do not belong to the first group of student devices. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The IHS of  claim 16 , wherein the first group designation instruction was generated by the teacher device in response to the teacher device:
 providing a teacher graphical user interface for display on a display system of the teacher device that includes a student device indicator for each of the plurality of student devices; 
 receiving a request through the teacher graphical user interface to group the plurality of student devices; 
 determining the first group of student devices and the second group of student devices, wherein each of the first group of student devices and the second group of student devices includes a subset of the plurality of student devices that are not included in the other group of student devices; and 
 assigning a first type group designation visual indication to the first group of student devices and a second type group designation visual indication to the second group of student devices. 
 
     
     
       18. The IHS of  claim 17 , wherein each subset of the plurality of student devices included in each group of student devices is randomized. 
     
     
       19. The IHS of  claim 16 , wherein the visual indicator device is configured to display a plurality of colors, and wherein the first group designation instruction are configured to cause the visual indicator device to display a first type group designation visual indication color that is different than a second type group designation visual indication color displayed by indicator devices on student devices in the second group of student devices. 
     
     
       20. The IHS of  claim 16 , wherein the teacher device communication engine is configured to:
 detect, by the communication system and over a short range network that is different than the network, the teacher device and, in response, 
 provide, via the communication system and over the network, a student device identifier.